Do most of you transfer yor pictures to your PC using the USB transfer cable or do you remove the storage card and use a card reader? I'm concerned with the longevity of the (in my case) SD card itself and also the spring/locking mechanism for the card when popping the card in and out on a regular basis. My manual says to remove it after taking pictures but that really seems excessive. I've been using the cable so far but am interested in your experiences. Thanks :?

I have used both methods of transferring pics from the camera to the PC. I purchased the smart reader because my older camera, Oly c3000, had a serial port download and not USB. It was painful to download a 100 pictures through the serial port. My new camera, Oly C4040, has a USB connection and I use both methods. Bill Drew had brought up a point in similar forum about the mechanical pieces could wear out by removing the card. I had never thought of that aspect until Bill mentioned the possibilities.

Point 2 about removing the media from your camera: I am not sure why you would do that. The reason could be corrosion of the media if it is left in the camera. I have not heard or hav I experienced such a problem. It could be true in more humid areas but I live in El Paso, TX. Mositure is not a problem here.

Do most of you transfer yor pictures to your PC using the USB transfer cable or do you remove the storage card and use a card reader

I use the USB rarely, I use the card reader, and not for the pics only, I often use card reader / CF cards to transport files between office and home ( itís a nice and quick transportable storage device )

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregH

I'm concerned with the longevity of the (in my case) SD card itself and also the spring/locking mechanism for the card when popping the card in and out on a regular basis

May be the most fragile parts are the pins (in the camera) , but they are designed for regular basis operations, isnít it? My D7 is new, but my CP950 has pretty high mileage, no problem yet.
In my office, many CP950 are dedicated for field use( ie very rough conditions , and very rough users too ) no problem of this kind either.
At the card side, itís a very compact design, the contacts are female type, the only way to damage them is by wear. At worst , just get another one. But I never heard any CF damaged by mechanical wear (they even survive through washers and dryers :mrgreen: ).

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregH

I've been using the cable so far but am interested in your experiences. Thanks :?

The USB plug on the camera side seems fragile to me :roll: , how about save itís longevity for when you really need it only ?